Men's Track & Field

Dalton takes position at Lipscomb

May 06, 2013

BRISTOL, Tenn. – King University head cross country and track and field coach Peter Dalton has accepted the position of Assistant Cross Country Coach and Track at Lipscomb University. Peter will remain at King through May 31 and will coach our student-athletes at the NCAA Championships, and will assist the current staff as they wrap up recruiting efforts for fall 2013.

Dalton has guided the men's and women's cross country teams to one Conference Carolinas championship and two runner-up finishes, while the men's team made an NCAA Championships appearance in 2012. In 2010, the women's team became the first King program to qualify for the NCAA Championships, in King's first season in the NCAA. That year, the women's team also posted the highest GPA of all NCAA Division II Cross Country teams.

He took over the men's and women's track and field programs in January 2011, during a very challenging time for the programs. In the time since, the programs have developed into the dominant force in Conference Carolinas, winning both the men's and women's indoor championships this year, and the women's outdoor championship. Two of Dalton's track and field athletes have qualified for the NCAA Championships later this month. The transformation in the track programs has not just been in athletic achievements, in just two and one-half years the team GPA has improved from around a 2.75 to over a 3.0.

"I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the track and field coaching staff, and King University track and field and cross country team members, during my time at King." commented Peter Dalton. "The accomplishments during my tenure have left me humbled many times at the talented and dedicated staff and athletes I had the privilege of leading."

Over the past two years, Dalton has coached three Conference Carolinas Scholar Athletes of the Year. A season ago, Danielle Alfano earned the distinction for women's cross country while Spence Frantom and Hannah Witt earned the honor this season. Frantom was named Fall Scholar Athlete for cross country, and Witt was named Winter Scholar Athlete for indoor track and field. Dalton also was named Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year in both men's and women's indoor track and field, as well as women's cross country.

In the past year, Dalton led the Tornado to Conference Carolinas titles in women's cross country along with indoor and outdoor track and field while guiding the men's track and field team to an indoor title. Jordan Noe was named conference runner of the year in cross country, and he was joined by Frantom and Dickson Kurgat on the All-Region team. Under Dalton's tutelage, Witt was named Conference Carolinas Track Athlete of the Year, and Maegan Henry earned Carolinas Women's Field Athlete of the Year. Witt was also named King's Female Athlete of the Year. On the men's side, Jeremy Stamper was named Men's Field Athlete of the Year under Dalton's guidance this spring.

"I have no doubt the King University track and field and cross country will continue to dominate the conference and region and ultimately be a national powerhouse in the near future," Dalton said.

"Peter has been a tremendous asset to our department and our student athletes. The success of our track and field and cross country teams athletically speaks for itself, but our teams have also performed exceptionally well in the classroom and been model citizens," said King Athletic Director David Hicks. "Peter will be missed, but we are excited for this opportunity for him to advance his coaching career to the next level."